Alex_A Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 For the last week or so, our hens seem to have got a bit confused about their sexuality! They are both still laying daily (so they really are hens!) but they seem to have started a regular evening performance whereby the pepperpot crouches and the gingernut climbs on top of her. There's a lot of wing flapping and comb pulling, and then the gingernut jumps off and they both strut around flapping their wings. Things seem to carry on as normal for about 24 hours, and then they start again. Has anyone else had this happen with hens? Should I be worried about it, and, if so, is there anything I can do to discourage them? Thanks in advance, Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocchick Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 I've seen something similar in establishing the pecking order e.g. the hen jumps on the back, the hen squats then the hen on top pecks at the comb or feathers on the back of the neck. Am I right they have been laying a few months from your signature? If so I'm a bit surprised as I have seen it in a new flock, newly laying chicken, or if I've introduced a chicken back after illness. Do they show any signs of aggression? If it is mating behaviour I don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex_A Posted July 28, 2009 Author Share Posted July 28, 2009 Ginger has been laying for 8 months and Blackie 10. Other than when there's food about (when it's every hen for herself!) they seem to be very companionable. They usually wander around the garden quite close together, and if one runs back to the Eglu for food, the other usually follows. I don't remember ever seeing them fight, other than the usual scramble after food treats. When they first arrived, Blackie seemed to be the dominant one (as she laid pretty much as soon as she arrived, and Ginger didn't lay for another 2 months, she was probably quite a bit older) but for the last 6 months or so, Ginger seems to have been dominant. We don't have a cockerel, but we can hear one that lives in a nearby farm, so I wondered if they might be getting confused? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 It is just a dominance thing and not at all uncommon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xScrunchee Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 Yep-this happens in my chicken run too. Rose prefers Brandee over Jasmine and quite likes to pretend she is a rooster in fact the whole show is not very pleasant to be honest. Brandee squats, Rose climbs on her back pulling at her neck feathers and stamping her feet and then Rose looks like she has a semi prolapse thing going on, then she jets out a small amount of liquid poo two or three times, then she jumps off, prolapse thing goes back in. They both shake their feathers and carry on scratching around. Yummy Rose lays eggs so she is indeed a hen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex_A Posted July 28, 2009 Author Share Posted July 28, 2009 Thanks for the reassurance - it sounds like it could be more unpleasant than it is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Mine have done this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostin Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Mine do this, Carla jumps on Robin on a regular basis, but they both lay eggs. It will be interesting to see if this carries on as my cockerel matures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
